This makes me uncomfortable...
Sometimes I hear students tell me they do not like something we are doing because they are not comfortable with it yet. My students know I work at making them uncomfortable at times because I know, those that are ready for it will grow from the experience. Beit Tai Chi Walking or a specific form, if they are not comfortable with it, there is good reason. When you are able to recognize this discomfort and explore it without judgment, you will learn something about yourself and consequently, your Tai Chi will grow.
The teacher is a student...
This was one of those weeks of discomfort for me. Silk Reeling is a deep principal that I have trained for many years but have a hard time explaining to someone. Well, the previous few weeks of class topics and the fact that Master Chen Bing is coming to Dallas placed me in a situation where it was the most logical topic for the week. I decided that if was willing to make my students uncomfortable then I had better be prepared to do the same for myself. So off I went, reeling silk all week with my students.
What is Silk Reeling?
Silk Reeling is a principal that is manifested in the mind and expressed in the body. The goal is to create consistent, smooth and flowing physical movements that originate from the Dan Tien. The reference to silk reeling is used to describe the smooth flow. If you pull the silk to fast it breaks, too slow and it bunches up, just right and everything is smooth. You pull the silk from the Dan Tien and the end of the thread is at the end of whatever body part you are moving; finger tips, toes, elbow etc. When you Dan Tien stops, so should the rest of you.
The Dan Tien, a Tai Chi gyroscope...
Consider your Dan Tien as being a gyroscope, continuously moving, creating a stabilizing effect that can be used to draw body parts in and out as necessary for a movement. Ideally, the Dan Tien and therefore your energy, are always moving inside. Even if you are standing still, preparing to move, the Dan Tien is in an active state, waiting for the command to draw attention towards the body part(s) which will create the movement. When Silk Reeling is truly working for you, each movement will begin and end with the Dan Tien and all body parts settling at once.
How do you practice Silk Reeling?
There are many different Qigong exercises that help students gain a better understanding of their Dan Tien connection. I find that standing Qigong helps me to feel the connection because I am not trying to focus on moving my feet just creating a stable, platform for my posture. Virtually any Qigong exercise you know can be used to develop your understanding of Silk Reeling, as long as you are paying close attention to the Dan Tien and allowing it to initiate and transition every movement. Some of the best Qigong movements for Silk Reeling will involve a lot of Dan Tien and body movements such as Rolling the Ball, Repulse the Monkey, Cloud Step, Waving Hands Like Clouds and Pushing the Wave are a few of my favorites...
Opportunities for growth...
Two of the four Tai Chi Workshops Master Chen Bing will be presenting in April are on Silk Reeling. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn some excellent Qigong exercises from a traditional Tai Chi Master.
What did I learn this week?
By the end of this (uncomfortable) week I had learned a few things about Silk Reeling for myself. The most prominent is that the breath can be used as a point of focus for Silk Reeling. If you breath too fast your "breath silk" will break, too slow and it will stagnate; just right and your body will relax, your energy will flow and your Tai Chi will grow. I pushed past my comfort zone, had to get creative in my explanations and learned something in the process. I guess practicing what you preach ain't so bad after all.
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